Hi everyone,
My name is Rebekah Kang, and I'm in my 1A term in the AFM program at the University of Waterloo (UW) as a Fellow. When I was deciding which school I wanted to go to as my next step after high school, I didn't even know what subject area I wanted to study. With my unease, I talked to multiple people attending UW or specifically in the AFM program and found that this program would be my next step into my future.
Once I attended UW, I was then offered the opportunity to join the Fellowship program. At first, I didn’t know what to expect, but today I can proudly say I have not regretted signing up for the program once. At the time of my acceptance into the Fellowship program, I already knew that the AFM program was for me, but the acceptance was just the icing on the cake (mainly because of the money!!! Just kidding… kind of). The Fellowship program has given me the opportunity to interact with other Fellows, gain advice from Honourees and alumni at the Fellowship café, and get insights on life as an AFM student from upper years. Due to the pandemic, the interactions with my school community were limited but the Fellowship program has ensured that I am able to regularly chat with other 1A fellows and my mentee through social media. My mentee was always open to answering any of my questions and put me at ease before starting my official school term in September. Even with an online term, the Fellowship program has offered abundant opportunities to hear about different career paths through interviews with professors and successful alumni, which has helped me find career paths that I am interested in.
Overall, the Fellowship program has ensured that I get to learn more about myself, my peers, and the AFM program rather than staying in bed all day and eating chips. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that the AFM program has and continues to provide me with. I’m looking forward to the coming years where there will be greater developmental roles that shape my career and work in the future.